Fast Track Court delivers verdict in record time

Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, Feb 29 (UNI) Belying the popular notion that getting legal justice was a time-consuming process, a Fast Track Court in this district has passed a judgment in a murder case within a record 110 hours of the crime.

Namakkal Fast Track Court (FTC) Judge A Rathnavelu has convicted and sentenced one Mohanasundaram to life imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on him in a case relating to the brutal murder of his five-year-old daughter.

In his order yesterday, the Judge also sentenced him to two years imprisonment for attempting to kill his seven-year-old son. However, the sentences would run concurrently.

The prosecution case was that Mohanasundaram, working in a powerloom at Pallipalayam, frequently quarrelled with his wife, also working in a powerloom, suspecting her fidelity.

On February 23 last, after his wife left for night duty, Mohanasundaram strangled his daughter to death. He also attempted to murder his son, but his wife returned home from work and raised an alarm.

The Pallipalayam police arrested Mohanasundaram after registering a case and filed the charge sheet before the FTC.

Reflecting the popular adage that 'Justice delayed is justice denied', the FTC Judge heard the statements of 22 witnesses and delivered the judgment in a record time, last evening.

He was later lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.

Namakkal Superintendent of Police John Nicholson told newspersons here today that for the first time in Tamil Nadu, verdict had been delivered within 110 hours of committing the crime.

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